The Gods Cry
by Kaori-glass-house
Summary: FF8XxxHolicPokemonYaoi. Through the magic of a wish, Seifer Almasy learns what it means to truly love. However, he quickly learns that true love comes at a price, and that sometimes one must sacarfice the thing they love most for the greater good.


Chapter 1.

It was a breezy autumn evening in Deling city. The beautiful blossom trees that lined the park were weeping gently, shedding their leaves in the dying pink light. A young man lay on a park bench staring up at the sky. His handsome features were curled into a frown, and the bright, emerald orbs of his eyes grimaced up at the sky above. In one hand he held a cigarette which he'd picked off the ground, in the other, a dirty bottle of wine. He took a long swig of the wine, gulping down the last remnants before smashing the bottle violently against the ground.

"_How did it ever come to this? I was strong… once."_

Cursing himself for his new found lack of self discipline, the young man straightened up and flicked the cigarette away. Stretching, he stood up and made his way to the park entrance. Everyday the same routine. Everyday he sank more and more into his addiction. The Seifer Almasy he once knew would have never have let this happen to himself. But then again, he was a far cry from the warrior he once was.

As he walked down the now dark street, a slight breeze ruffled his golden hair, sending a chill down his exposed neck. It was getting colder, and it now occurred to him that his heating-less apartment wouldn't do very much to keep the cold out.

"Shit… " He mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, Seifer realised that he was not alone. He may have lost much of his former character, however his senses were still sharp as a knife, and he definitely knew when he was being watched. Slowly, he revolved on the spot, casting his gaze all around himself.

There was nothing there.

"What the fuck…?" Seifer whispered to himself, "I was sure there was something there?"

Shaking his head, Seifer continued to walk down the street towards his apartment block. Was he really losing it? Had the great Seifer Almasy finally lost his touch?

"_Snap out of it Almasy…You're better than this…right?"_

With a final shrug, Seifer ascended the stairs leading up to his apartment. The street now lay silent, lit only by the soft glow of the street lamps. Suddenly, without a sound, a figure appeared in the middle of the street. As it stepped into the glow of the street lamps, the figure shook its head free of a hood that had been obscuring its features, revealing long flowing tresses of deep black hair. The figure was a woman, a very beautiful woman at that. Though there was something odd about her, an almost unearthly grace. With a delicate motion, she raised her head towards a window on the fourth floor of the apartment complex that was lit by a dull light from within. A content smile slowly spread across the woman's face.

"I've finally found you, Seifer Almasy."

Seifer Almasy's apartment was dirty and cold. There were thick layers of dust over all the surfaces, and there were piles upon piles of clothes on the floor. Kicking his way through one of these piles, Seifer made his way towards a three day old pizza box on the couch, and promptly began eating its now rotting contents. One year had passed since Ultamicia's defeat by Squall and the others, and during that time Seifer had suffered greatly. People hated him, cursed his name, and generally tried to maim him if they recognised him. Garden, with the help of the government, had filed orders against him, barring him from any kind of military service and confiscating the majority of his possessions that were deemed 'dangerous'. This included his beloved sword Hyperion, which used to rest against the wall by his bedside. He was now a social outcast, loathed by all who knew his name. But then again, what other treatment could Ultamicia's most favoured servant expect?

"_There really is nothing left for me now. Garden won't take me back, Squall and the others would rather kill me on sight than talk to me… I have nothing… Pfft… who needs them anyway. I've never relied on anyone other than myself , and that's not gonna change anytime soon… But still… to be hated this much? To not have __**anybody**__… I don't know if I can cope… I wish… I wish this could all change…"_

As Seifer mulled these thoughts over in his mind, he lay back on the couch. His eyes flickered over to his dusty mantle piece where in pride of place sat a picture of him and Rinoa, taken by the seaside. That had been so long ago. Seifer remembered painfully the subtle caress of her hand against his cheek, and the way her hair smelled of strawberries because of the shampoo he kept insisting she buy. His time with Rinoa had been one of the o happiest times in his life. Now, because of his actions, he'd lost her. **She **had understood him. **She **had not judged him. Yet in the end, it was his own fault that she was gone, and he would never find someone like her again.

With the pain of this truth stinging him to his very core, Seifer rolled onto his side, and fell into a broken, nightmare filled sleep.

It was mid day, and Seifer was drunk again. He lay slumped in his usual alley way, a bottle of wine again in hand.

"It's a little early to be drinking isn't it?" Cooed a soft voice.

Seifer groggily gazed upwards to lay his eyes upon a startlingly beautiful woman. Her long, jet black hair was tied gracefully behind her head, and she wore a black and white kimono which marked her as a woman of high station. Her amber eyes studied Seifer's dishevelled form with interest, and she couldn't help but recoil a little at the stench he gave off.

"What the fuck do you want?" Seifer groaned. He was not in the mood for any shit.

At this angry remark, the woman simply smiled. She slowly bent down to offer Seifer a hand, her hair tumbling over her shoulder like a waterfall.

"Come on, this is no place for you. Lets get you up and out of this alley way. What do you say? Look, I want to help you."

Seifer didn't know how to react to this. It had been a long time since anyone had offered to help him. Well, that's when they weren't offering to kick his head in. This woman though seemed familiar to him, she almost reminded him of Edea…

"Look lady, I don't need your fucking help. I'm perfectly fine here, so why don't run along and go do your fairy godmother bit somewhere else."

Almost immediately he had regretted his words. This was what he'd wanted, someone to actually give a damn about him, but thanks to his old defence techniques, she'd probably turn right around and leave him there.

To his surprise, she simply laughed.

"Oh you'd like that huh? Well Mr Almasy, what if I told you I could make that little old wish of yours come true."

Seifer felt like he'd been smacked over the head with a baseball bat. One, she knew who he was and wasn't attempting to castrate him with her heels, and two she knew about his wish. Did she really know? It was just a stupid thing he'd thought of last night…She couldn't know.

"E-excuse me??"

She bent down next to him, whispering softly in his ear, one long nail gliding slowly across his cheek.

"I know that you want to be the man you once were, that you want someone like dear Rinoa to love you again. You don't want to be alone anymore, and I can help you. All you have to do is take my hand and come with me…"

With a slight, scared nod, Seifer tightly squeezed her hand.

Seifer reappeared in some kind of shop. Various strange objects lined dusty shelves, and all along the walls there hung old sheets of parchment scrawled upon with many cryptic symbols Seifer didn't understand. In the centre of the room was table, and on the table sat three objects; a baseball bat, a bucket of paint, and a playing card.

"Right! Here we are!" breathed a voice to Seifer's left. The mysterious woman walked up to Seifer and placed a slender arm around his broad shoulders.

Seifer flinched at her touch and moved away from her, staring around the room.

"Where are we? What **is **this place, and who are you?" his bright, emerald eyes widening.

The woman emitted a small giggle, then bowed low to Seifer.

"This my boy, is my shop. I am Yuko, goddess of the scorned, wishes and change. I can grant your wish, any wish! As long as it is within my power to do so."

Seifer glared at her.

"_This couldn't be real! I must just be dreaming"_

"No, this is no dream sweetheart. Anything you want, I can grant it. All you have to do is say the words."

Seifer spun around and stared at Yuko.

"_Did she just read my mind!?!"_

Seifer's head swam. He didn't know what to think, didn't know what to feel. All he knew was that he was willing to try anything… The old Seifer would have questioned her motives, would have been sceptical, would have walked out that door… But the old Seifer was dead and gone, and he would do anything to get him back.

Anything.

"What do I have to do?" Seifer sighed.

Yuko tilted her head to one side.

"All you have to do, is say Yuko, I wish… etc etc. Leave the rest to me. Now there is a matter about payment. It can be anything of equal value to your wish, and I can come for it at anytime. If you do not give me what I want, you have breached our agreement, and that means I have right over your most precious asset. Your **soul. **Agreed?"

Before Seifer knew what he was doing he had nodded in agreement. Standing up to his full height, Seifer pointed at Yuko.

"Yuko, I wish that I was the man I once was. That people looked up to me again…and that someone actually gives a damn about me …"

Yuko's face contorted into a wide grin. She slowly glided over to the table with the items, and began to prepare the spell. She lifted the bat into the paint and then clasped her hands firmly together in front of her face.

"And so It shall be."

A great wind erupted around her, shattering bottles and causing the various objects and artefacts of the room to spin to spin around her. Her hair flew from its clasp, and enveloped her like a writhing mass of snakes. Quickly, she withdrew the bat from the paint. There were symbols burned into the wood, and as she raised the bat over her head, it emitted an ear piercing shriek. With great force, she plunged the bat into the playing card.

There was a flash of searing red light, then all went dark.


End file.
